Can you spot my wiring mistake?

[Gene Deci]

I remember a bonsai master once telling a workshop I was in that the purpose of wire is to hold the branch in the desired position, not to look good. The tree will look better with no wire in any case, he said But it is often necessary so if you are going to show a tree with wire, following certain rules will make it look better. And the wire will hold better if certain rules are followed also. But it if your wiring holds the shape you want and you aren't going to show the tree, don't worry about it.

I use struts and guy wires and all sorts of unconventional things more often than taking the time to wire a tree for show. If hanging a weight works, why not?

 

[Adair M]

So I did!

Before:



After:



I lowered it in the pot, and turned it clockwise about an hour’s worth. This brought the right branch more forward. The badly wired branch is now a frontal, and hides the straight section. I’ll take that wire off and work with the pad to make it better after the tree has settled in to the new soil.

Lowering the tree in the pot helped with the reverse taper. I think some moss will disguise most of the problem now.

 

[just.wing.it]

Looking good!
Cool pot...

 

[Ruben Bouwmeester]

Should come from above. What a cool tree. thumps up.

 

[Adair M]

I remember a bonsai master once telling a workshop I was in that the purpose of wire is to hold the branch in the desired position, not to look good. The tree will look better with no wire in any case, he said But it is often necessary so if you are going to show a tree with wire, following certain rules will make it look better. And the wire will hold better if certain rules are followed also. But it if your wiring holds the shape you want and you aren't going to show the tree, don't worry about it.

I use struts and guy wires and all sorts of unconventional things more often than taking the time to wire a tree for show. If hanging a weight works, why not?

Gene, I’ve heard that opinion expressed before. If the tree is “in training” you can do whatever it takes to position the branches, and trunk for that matter, where you want. Once the tree exits the “development” stage and is in “refinement”, the props, pulleys, rebar, and jacks should be removed. Guy wires can still be used to assist traditional spiral wiring, but should be relatively inconspicuous.

For show, deciduous trees should have no wire. In fact, the most prestigious shows in Japan are held in the winter so that the structure of the bare branches can be appreciated.

Conifers are a different story. Wire is allowed. Not guy wires, however. And heavy wire on main branches, while not forbidden, will not impress the judges. Wire on secondary branches is expected. As a general rule, the foliage blocks the view of the wire, so it really doesn’t matter. If the wire is obvious and intrusive, that’s a negative. Show trees are typically wired a year in advance, so the trees have a year to grow new foliage which hides the wires. There are techniques to make the wire less obvious that the pros use.

I’m not sure if where this myth of “the best trees are not wired” and it’s collary “show trees are not wired” came from. It’s absolutely false. (Except for deciduous).

So, feel free to use whatever device you choose to shape your branches up until refinement. But, that doesn’t mean you should not use traditional wiring in development. You should! Spiral wiring allows you to put in more precise curves and movements than you can get from any other method.

 

[milehigh_7]

I was out checking my JWP for wire that was cutting in, and looking to see how I could tweak it to masked improvements, when I saw it.

Oops! A wiring mistake! I Wired this branch about 3 years ago.

View attachment 184805

Can you see it?

I can't believe it. I actually spotted it but I will be honest. I did not know why it was wrong it just "looked a little off." I could have never explained myself... Thanks for the post Adair! I love learning!

 

[Adair M]

View attachment 184857
Should come from above. What a cool tree. thumps up.

You are not the first to hold that opinion. I have been taught to come up from the bottom:



And here is a picture of Kimura wiring branches coming off the trunk:



The important point is the wire should be snug in the crotch where the branch meets the trunk to have a firm anchor.

 

[Ruben Bouwmeester]

Yes sometimes it fit's and sometimes it doesn't, this is maple. branches go up. I looked at will badeley's styling. He starts in the top of the tree.

 

[just.wing.it]

You are not the first to hold that opinion. I have been taught to come up from the bottom:

View attachment 184858

And here is a picture of Kimura wiring branches coming off the trunk:

View attachment 184859

The important point is the wire should be snug in the crotch where the branch meets the trunk to have a firm anchor.

That's interesting, I think in general, coming from the bottom will help pull downward, which is what we offensive are doing.

 

[Ruben Bouwmeester]

That's interesting, I think in general, coming from the bottom will help pull downward, which is what we offensive are doing.

NO, when your wire is coming from, you can't pull the tee branch downward. In a nice angle. because the wire is stuc in that angle

 

[just.wing.it]

NO, when your wire is coming from, you can't pull the tee branch downward. In a nice angle. because the wire is stuc in that angle

I see what you mean, I think...
What about this...?

If the wire is anchored to the trunk and coming up to the branch, from underneath, then your first loop is going to come from underside of said branch....
If your wire is anchored to the trunk from above said branch, and coming down, then your first loop is going to come from the top side of the branch....

I mean, if you are coming from the bottom of the branch and looping over the top, you'd have less integrity in the wire, and it wouldn't look right.

 

[Gene Deci]

Gene, I’ve heard that opinion expressed before. If the tree is “in training” you can do whatever it takes to position the branches, and trunk for that matter, where you want. Once the tree exits the “development” stage and is in “refinement”, the props, pulleys, rebar, and jacks should be removed. Guy wires can still be used to assist traditional spiral wiring, but should be relatively inconspicuous.

For show, deciduous trees should have no wire. In fact, the most prestigious shows in Japan are held in the winter so that the structure of the bare branches can be appreciated.

Conifers are a different story. Wire is allowed. Not guy wires, however. And heavy wire on main branches, while not forbidden, will not impress the judges. Wire on secondary branches is expected. As a general rule, the foliage blocks the view of the wire, so it really doesn’t matter. If the wire is obvious and intrusive, that’s a negative. Show trees are typically wired a year in advance, so the trees have a year to grow new foliage which hides the wires. There are techniques to make the wire less obvious that the pros use.

I’m not sure if where this myth of “the best trees are not wired” and it’s collary “show trees are not wired” came from. It’s absolutely false. (Except for deciduous).

So, feel free to use whatever device you choose to shape your branches up until refinement. But, that doesn’t mean you should not use traditional wiring in development. You should! Spiral wiring allows you to put in more precise curves and movements than you can get from any other method.

I don't believe anything I said indicates anything different from what you said except about the best trees not being wired. On that I would say It is hard to argue that any visible wire doesn't detract from a tree.

 

[Adair M]

NO, when your wire is coming from, you can't pull the tee branch downward. In a nice angle. because the wire is stuc in that angle

Ruben, “can’t” is probably not the best word, because you certainly “can”.

Here is one of my trees. This wire was done put on by a Tyler Sherod. Tyler was an apprentice to Shinji Suzuki for 5 years. While there, he won a styling competition of all the apprentices, Japanese or foreign. And Mr. Suzuki had Tyler wire, style, and prepare a client’s tree for Kokofu-ten. Which won the Kokofu Prize!



Again, let me say that it can be done either way. As long as there is a secure anchor, the wiring is effective.

My point is on my original wiring mistake, coming from under or over was not the mistake. It was not extending the wire for a turn up one of the two forks farther on down the branch.

 

[Adair M]

I don't believe anything I said indicates anything different from what you said except about the best trees not being wired. On that I would say It is hard to argue that any visible wire doesn't detract from a tree.

Ok... how about this tree? Please try to ignore the fertilizer bags on the surface.



It’s fully wired. Virtually every branch and every twig!

Do you think it’s showable?

 

[Adair M]

Looking good!
Cool pot...

Antique Chinese.

Kokofu quality!

 

[twisted trees]

I was out checking my JWP for wire that was cutting in, and looking to see how I could tweak it to masked improvements, when I saw it.

Oops! A wiring mistake! I Wired this branch about 3 years ago.

View attachment 184805

Can you see it?

Isn't all your wiring a mistake?

 

[Gene Deci]

Ok... how about this tree? Please try to ignore the fertilizer bags on the surface.

View attachment 184880

It’s fully wired. Virtually every branch and every twig!

Do you think it’s showable?

It is a spectacular tree! But don't you agree it would be better if it where exactly the same except no wire?

 

[Adair M]

It is a spectacular tree! But don't you agree it would be better if it where exactly the same except no wire?

Do you see wire that detracts?

The thing is, Pines grow new candles every year. Those candles grow straight up. On a small tree, if no wire were on, all the foliage would grow straight up. We are trying to create the image of a mature tree in miniature. On a full size tree, the new foliage grows straight up, but after a a couple years, that foliage gets heavy, an the branch bends down due to its own weight. Also winds and snow weigh down on the tree’s branches.

Our little trees stay so small the weight of the branches is insignificant. Unless we do something, they will continue to grow straight up. Over the years, spiral wiring has found its place in bonsai as being both effective and the least obtrusive way to “train” bonsai.

Hardwood trees in the winter are lignified. Their shapes won’t change. Pines and other conifers are considered “softwood”. They stay sappy, and can be bent long after being “lignified”. In fact, many can be bent with wire, and after the wire is removed, they will revert back to their original positions! (Maybe not all the way, but they don’t keep their “trained” position).

So, given the nature of the material, it is unreasonable to expect conifers to remain unwired for any period of time.

Oh, don’t get me wrong, a really nice unwired conifer is great! It just won’t stay “great” very long!

So, having wire on conifers became accepted for shows. And, the skill of the artist applying the wire is part of the beauty of the bonsai.

 

[Adair M]

Isn't all your wiring a mistake?

I guess so! I have yo take it all off and replace it every couple years!

 

[twisted trees]

I guess so! I have yo take it all off and replace it every couple years!

?